Elder Cultivator

Chapter 980

The Free Planet Guardians and Adamant Federation were no longer associated with the Trigold Cluster in the upper realms. Only the favored sects had actually known what was going on, and the two groups resisted in various ways when they learned the truth. Otherwise, they would not have continued to exist in the lower realms.

While they were extremely unlikely to have any information relevant to anything beyond Ascension, tangential information could still be useful. Varghese was thus on a diplomatic mission to try to compile information about the upper realms. It was entirely possible that important information had slipped through unaware. There was much that could be learned simply based on what areas they focused on.

Much of that focus had been with regards to whatever materials they were looking to extract from the lower realms, but it was possible they might find something else. Especially now that they had time to go through whatever records the key sects had left behind.

There was an ongoing exchange of information between the two groups, the Lower Realms Alliance, and the Shining Cooperative. The flow of information wasn’t as free and open as with the Unified Sector, as there was no official alliance. However, both groups had valuable cultivation insights to offer in exchange for copies of data.

Varghese was slowly expanding his domain more towards the galactic east, focusing on replacing older stars- though since he was in the earlier stages of Assimilation his growth was quick enough to provide a steady flow of ‘new’ stars he could bind.

Compiled information from many planets over at least a dozen systems was practically limitless, and there was no way any individual cultivator could go through all of it. That included even those with special techniques. However, the limits of humans could be supplemented by equipment. Computers, even. Their spread hadn’t been particularly quick to the eastern parts of the Alliance, but like other technology it came along with the better ships that combined technology and formations.

It was entirely possible the information they had wouldn’t be useful, but once it was input into various databases they could more easily access it. Would they find the secrets to cultivation? Likely not. But perhaps they might find hints. And if they could recognize those hints, intentional or not, they could learn from there.

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Significantly on the other side of the border between realms, Velvet continued on her journey to try to reach Ratna. She only had a short leg of the journey before she was as close as she could get to the core of the Guardians of the Veiled Brilliance. Much further, and she would be on planets exclusively controlled by them.

On the surface, such an arrangement seemed efficient. Vast numbers of sect disciples training together on the same things. Absolute control of how everything functioned. It was just that it broke down if you considered that no technique was perfect. The lack of diversity required disciples to seek out opportunities, either traveling between sects or looking for opportunities in untamed lands.

Both were common enough within the Scarlet Alliance, with the difference being the necessary amount of travel. Some amount was good for different planets, but when it was something like the Trigold Cluster it was simply unnecessarily distant and dangerous. Though they had a unified title, they didn’t all work together and many systems were effectively lawless.

Since she was already infiltrating, Velvet took mental notes on the various systems and planets she encountered. If she found something of critical importance she would only then risk transmitting it, but for the most part she wanted no obvious records. Having some maps was fine, but the point was to not look like a spy. Everything in moderation.

To reach her current system, she joined an expedition surveying a system near the Veiled Brilliance’s borders. A system wouldn’t have gone long with such little information about it if the various sects were willing to live next to each other, but as it was the area had only been casually explored. Given that the Guardians of the Veiled Brilliance controlled a similar number of systems as the current Scarlet Alliance it wasn’t unreasonably that they might have poorly explored neighbors.

There was just one relevant difference. The Scarlet Alliance had only recently incorporated the various systems together, and the Trigold Cluster had claimed their vast number of stars centuries or more likely millennia before. That didn’t mean they were obligated to explore everything, but the way things were set up it was entirely possible several sects knew what was in the Aelox System in depth- and simply hadn’t shared that information.

It was useful for Velvet, but it made her glad that she had ended up as part of reasonable groups. Of course, it was possible they would grow to a size they couldn’t manage- but given that there was a solid core structure that seemed unlikely.

Most of the planets in the Aelox System their ship- carrying somewhere around a hundred cultivators from the Essence Collection to Integration- were passed by without so much as a second glance. Their energy signatures didn’t reveal anything of interest.

But that wasn’t the case for the closest planet to the local star, Carrelos. It was a very hot planet. Unlivable, even for the majority of cultivators. However, it didn’t take them long to spot the anomaly that had brought them to the area to begin with. Specifically, structures on the planet’s surface, complete with functioning formations.

Not that there would have been any standing structures without something keeping them solid. It was possible to find materials that would withstand such temperatures, but the difficulty would come when the temperatures changed. Like many planets close to stars, it had no atmosphere- and thus little ability to hold onto heat. That meant one side of it was far colder than the other, and the temperature changed rapidly from something that would melt most common metals to far below where ice froze over the course of a few standard days.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

That was the extent of what they knew as the ship landed cautiously.

Velvet had managed to secure what appeared to be a reliable group. Even if it was easier for her to work alone, being a loner was suspicious. Thus, she found several other cultivators that seemed serious enough. A mix between late Life Transformation and early Integration for the most part. There were stronger groups along as well, which was the whole point.

Velvet had studied all of them, but whether there would be any lasting connection between them was unclear. It wasn’t likely, but Velvet hadn’t expected to make a friend from within the Chaotic Conglomeration either.

As soon as they landed and the groups began to enter the building, Velvet sensed something odd- and she relayed as much to her companions. “It’s unusual. More than finding an apparently abandoned facility out here, I mean,” she commented.

“It’s just a building, isn’t it?” asked Durff. He was… a big meathead. Or if she was more charitable, a large and durable fellow focused on martial pursuits.

“You think so?” Velvet asked. “Then why can’t we feel the groups down the other halls?”

“Maybe they moved too far…?” Durff said doubtfully.

Velvet wondered what the purpose of isolating them was. She was on the lookout for traps, but she didn’t find any. Not immediately, at least. However, their path was sloping downward- and she suspected the others would as well. The structure on the surface was likely only a small part of whatever the place was.

It didn’t take long for them to reach a dead end. Or at least something that appeared like a dead end.

“That’s it, I guess,” Durff commented. “Do we… report back?”

An older woman in their group, Jyotsana, clearly had a better understanding of the situation. “Halls don’t end in an archway just for fun. There should be some way to open this.”

Durff pulled back his hammer, but Velvet stopped him before he took a swing. “Careful, the formations won’t appreciate that. We should look for clues.”

Something tingled in the back of her mind. She couldn’t sense beyond the dead end, but that wasn’t unreasonable. If people could just feel past your fancy defenses, they could find their way into your sect or… whatever this was. So far there hadn’t been any decorations or anything but an empty grand hall and splitting paths.

Another group walked up behind them as Velvet was checking things out. “A dead end?” one of them asked.

“I might have to break it open,” Durff commented.

“I’m not sure,” Velvet said. “It certainly seems like-” a swirl of upper energy, and suddenly the archway could be seen through. Except, Velvet was certain it had not opened. Instead, this was a portal. And based on her understanding, it likely went to a secret realm of some sort. She wasn’t sure why it would have opened up now, though. She hadn’t touched anything, very intentionally. Unfortunately, the complexity of the formations was beyond her- and much of it was hidden.

“Guess we walk through,” Durff said.

He did so, and inadvertently tested for traps. He didn’t get disintegrated, which was good. Two more went after him, so unless it very specifically disintegrated the fourth person Velvet felt confident going through, just ahead of Jyotsana.

On the other side, they saw several more pathways. “I suppose we split up here,” said the other group. “Maybe we can find the rest in here.”

“It’s possible,” Velvet agreed. Though she didn’t necessarily want to find them. If there was nothing valuable, people would be looking for some way to make the trip worth it, which might be robbing others. That would just make things complicated for her if they tried. If this place did contain valuables, it was likely their different groups would fight over resources. They might fight within their group as well, but cultivators often showed some restraint if they wanted to live long.

Velvet reached out to grab Durff’s shoulder as they were walking along. He nearly dragged her forward, barely recognizing her grip, but he did notice. His head turned. “Why’d you do that?”

“I think I noticed a trap up ahead,” Velvet said. “A pressure plate.” That wasn’t crazy, for defending a sect or the like. Obviously placing traps along highly active corridors would be an issue, but if they were rare and in specific locations it made plenty of sense.

“Should I smash it?”

“How about we just… don’t step on it?” Velvet commented. “We can stick to the left side.”

She’d accidentally ended up leading the group, now. Both physically and otherwise. Velvet was constantly scanning, wondering about the potential dangers. However, they didn’t run into many traps. She had the feeling they would be quite effective, but it was a far cry from Everheart’s Tombs, stuffed to the gills with traps.

They passed numerous turns, but with nothing to direct them in any particular manner they continued along a central route. That led them to a closed chamber door… with a clear depression in its middle.

“Is this a portal too?” Durff asked.

“It’s a door,” Velvet said. “A locked one. It needs some kind of key.”

“Can you pick it?” he asked.

“Looks like a formation unlocking type. So the better word would be a token,” Velvet commented. “Maybe we can find some.”

She didn’t like this place. So far, there hadn’t been much danger. Just a few traps. But she couldn’t help but feel she was missing something. There was also something going on around them. Her energy senses only stretched a hundred meters or so, when they should have stretched far further. Another detail meant to confuse intruders, certainly, but she wondered what it was making her miss.

Ultimately, they picked another corridor to traverse, where they soon came upon their first signs of anything abnormal. There was a corpse, and a wall filled with arrows of some sort. The corpse was relatively well preserved, but clearly old. It seemed there had been nothing to break it down over time, so it was effectively mummified.

“Anyone recognize that emblem?” she asked. They were clearly connected to some sect or clan, with a sunburst shape. It had five lines, with the central line being the longest.

Nobody did. They carefully removed the body from the trap it was laying on and began to search it, finding a disk with the same emblem. Suspicious. Very suspicious. That was that Velvet’s instincts told her, anyway. And they were rarely wrong.